Create U.S. History Lesson Plans from Movies

Create Lesson Plans about Individual States from Movies

[ Suggested Ages are in brackets at the end of each entry ]

Snippet Lesson Plans are based on short subjects or film clips. They are ideal for classroom use because the video segments are less than 40 minutes in length.

Alabama

The Long Walk Home    U.S./1945 - 1991, Diversity & Alabama [12+]
 

Tuskegee Airmen    Aviation; U.S./1941 - 1945, Diversity & Alabama [10+]


Alaska

Never Cry Wolf    Science-Technology, The Environment; U.S./1945 - 1991; Alaska [10+]
 


Arizona

Fort Apache    U.S./The Frontier and the West & Arizona [8+]
(Some Spanish spoken by the Native Americans)
 


California

Angels in the Outfield    Sports/Baseball; U.S./1945 - 1991 & California [9 - 12]

Barbary Coast    U.S./The Frontier and the West & California [12+]

The Grapes of Wrath    U.S./1929 - 1941; Oklahoma & California; Literature/U.S. [12+]
 

The Joy Luck Club    U.S./1945 - 1991, Diversity; California; World/China [14+]

Stand and Deliver    U.S./1941 - 1996, Diversity & California; Mathematics; ELA [12+; Literary devices analyzed: character, symbols, subplot, foils and irony]


Florida

Cross Creek    U.S./1865 - 1913 & Florida; Literature/U.S. [the events that inspired The Yearling]
 

The Yearling    U.S./1865 - 1913 & Florida; Literature/U.S. [8 - 12]


Georgia

Gone With the Wind    U.S./1860 - 1865 & Georgia [12+]
 


Hawaii

Hawaii    U.S./1812 - 1860 & Hawaii; Religions/Christianity [12+]
 


Idaho

Smoke Signals    U.S./1991 - Present, Diversity (Native American) & Idaho [12+]
 


Illinois

Hoop Dreams    Sports/Basketball; U.S./1991 - Present & Illinois [10+]

Native Son    U.S./1945 - 1991, Diversity & Illinois; Literature/U.S. [15+]
 

A Raisin in the Sun    U.S./1945 - 1991, Diversity & Illinois; Drama/U.S [12+]


Indiana

Breaking Away    Sports/Bicycle Racing; U.S./1945 - 1991 & Indiana [12+]
 


Iowa

Field of Dreams    Sports/Baseball; U.S./1945 - 1991 & Iowa [10+]
 


Louisiana

All The King's Men    U.S./1913 - 1941, Politics & Louisiana; Literature/U.S. [13+]
 


Maryland

Partners of the Heart    Medicine; U.S./1917 - 1991, Diversity, Tennessee & Maryland [10+]
 

Something the Lord Made    Medicine; U.S./1917 - 1991, Diversity, Tennessee & Maryland [10+]


Massachusetts

Captains Courageous    U.S./1929 - 1941 & Massachusetts; Seafaring [8 - 12]

The Crucible    U.S./1629 - 1750, 1945-1991 & Massachusetts; Drama/U.S. [12+]

Glory    U.S./ 1860 - 1865 & Massachusetts [14+]

Good Will Hunting Medicine (Psychiatry); U.S./1991 - present & Massachusetts [14+]
 

Little Women    U.S./1860 - 1865 & Massachusetts; Literature/U.S. [6+]

Moby Dick    Literature/U.S.; Seafaring; U.S./1812 - 1860 & Massachusetts [10+]

The Russians are Coming the Russians are Coming    U.S./1945 - 1991 & Massachusetts [8 - 12]

The Scarlet Letter    U.S./1629 - 1750 & Massachusetts; Religions/Christianity; Literature/U.S. [12+]


Mississippi

Ghosts of Mississippi    U.S./1945 - Present, Diversity, the Law & Mississippi [12+]<
 


Missouri

The Adventures of Huck Finn    U.S./1812 - 1860, Diversity & Missouri; Literature/U.S. [6+]
 

The Glass Menagerie    Drama/U.S.; U.S./Missouri [12+]


Nebraska

Boystown    U.S./1913 - 1929 & Nebraska; Religions/Christianity [10+]
 


Nevada

Desert Bloom    U.S./1945 - 1991 & Nevada [13+]
 

The Ox-Bow Incident    U.S./The Frontier and the West; 1865 - 1913; The Law; & Nevada [12+]


New Jersey

The Crossing    U.S./1750 - 1812, New Jersey & Pennsylvania [12+]
 


New Mexico

Edge of America (Sports/Basketball; U.S./1945-1991; Diversity/Native American & African American and New Mexico [12+]
 

Fat Man and Little Boy    U.S./1941 - 1945 & New Mexico; Science-Technology; [13+]


New York

An American Tail    U.S./1865 - 1913; Diversity & New York [7 - 10]

An American Tail - Talking and Playing for Growth U.S./1865 - 1913; Diversity & New York; Religions/Judaism) [5 - 8]

Anne B. Real    U.S./1991 - present and New York [12+]

The Great Gatsby (U.S. 1913 - 1929 & New York; Literature; Literary Devices: symbol, imagery, motif, flashback, characterization; SEL: Romantic Relationships; Moral-Ethical Emphasis: Responsibility) [13+]

Hester Street    U.S./1865 - 1913; Diversity & New York [12+]

The Jazz Singer    Cinema; U.S./1913 - 1929, Diversity & New York; Music/Popular [12+]

Life With Father    U.S./1865 - 1913 & New York [8+]

Music of the Heart    Music/Classical, U.S./1991 - present & New York; Biography (Guaspari [9+]
 

On The Waterfront    Cinema; U.S./1945 - 1991 & New York [12+]

Quiz Show    U.S./1945 - 1991 & New York [11+]

Small Wonders    Music/Classical; U.S./1991 - Present & New York; Biography (Guaspari [6+]

Tootsie    U.S./1945 - 1991 & New York; Drama/U.S. [13+]

A Tree Grows In Brooklyn    U.S./1913 - 1929, Diversity & New York [9+]

West Side Story    Drama/Musicals; U.S./1945 - 1991, Diversity & New York Dance/Performance [12+]

The Witness    (U.S./1991 - present & New York [13+]


Oklahoma

The Grapes of Wrath    U.S./1929 - 1941; Oklahoma & California; Literature/U.S. [12+]
 

Oklahoma!    Drama/Musicals; U.S./1865-1913 & Oklahoma; Dance/Performance [12+]


Pennsylvania

1776    U.S./1750 - 1812 & Pennsylvania; Drama/Musicals [11+]

Ben and Me -- Short Subject       Biography/Franklin; U. S./1750 - 1812 & Pennsylvania; Science-Technology [8 & 9; 27 minutes]
 

Gettysburg    U.S./1860 - 1865 & Pennsylvania [10+]


South Carolina

Conrack    U.S./1945 - 1991, Diversity & South Carolina [10+]
 


Tennessee

Cast Away (U.S./1945 - 1991 and Tennessee; ELA: expository phase; motif; symbol; theme development; dramatic irony) [13+]

Force More Powerful -- Short Subject       World/India, Poland, Denmark, Chile, South Africa; 1800s - the Present; U.S./1945 - the Present; Civil Rights Movement, Tennessee [12+; Six sections, each between 20 and 30 minutes in length]

Snippet Lesson Plan on the Civil Rights Movement - The Nashville Sit-ins, 1960 (U.S./1945 - 1991 & Diversity) [12+; snippet: 25 minutes; lesson: two class periods]
 

Partners of the Heart    Medicine; U.S./1917 - 1991, Diversity, Tennessee & Maryland [10+]

Inherit the Wind    Cinema; U.S./1913 - 1929, 1945 - 1991 & Tennessee [12+]

Something the Lord Made    Medicine; U.S./1917 - 1991, Diversity, Tennessee & Maryland [10+]


Virginia

Bridge to Terabithia (Literature/U.S.; U.S./1945 - 1991 & Virginia; SEL: Friendship; Grieving; Moral-Ethical Emphasis: Caring) [10-13]
 

Remember the Titans    U.S./1945 - 1991, Diversity & Virginia; Sports/Football [11+]


West Virginia

Matewan    U.S./1913 - 1929, Diversity & West Virginia; Religions/Christianity [12+]

October Sky    Aviation & Space Exploration; U.S./1945 - 1991 & West Virginia; Science-Technology [10+]
 

Shiloh (U.S./1945 - 1991 & West Virginia) [10+]



TeachWithMovies.com Learning Guides are ideal lesson plan makers for teachers of U.S. History. Each Guide contains sections on Helpful Background, Benefits of the Movie, Possible Problems, Discussion Questions, and Assignments. They are designed to allow you to quickly create great U.S. History lesson plans relating to individual states.

Movies and film make the events they portray come alive. TeachWithMovies.com helps teachers and parents make U.S. history vivid and personal for children.



Table of Contents for U.S. History Lesson Plans from Movies and Film